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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · kick · bear · can · charge · wind · firm · craft

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bear — the animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. craft — a skill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. charge — electricity
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. charge — a price
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. kick — in football
  16. can — a tin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. can — to be able to
  19. charge — in control
  20. craft — boats
  21. firm — a company
  22. prune — to trim
  23. can — a tin
  24. wind — moving air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com